The Memory Chest of Our School Year

Sitting in a circle, each child remembers their favorite game from the school year, acts it out in slow motion and puts it into a chest that everyone closes together before lying down to rest. It builds calm, control of slow movement and naming what made us happy.

How to play

1. Sit in a circle with the open box in the middle as the memory chest, and play soft music (1 min).
2. Each child thinks of their favorite game from the year and acts it out in super slow motion; the others try to guess it (2 min).
3. Catch the memory out of the air, squeeze it between your hands and, one at a time, place it in the chest (2 min).
4. Everyone puts their hands on the lid, closes the chest, then breathes in and slowly out three times (1 min).
5. Lie on your back while the teacher opens the chest just a crack and quietly shares a happy memory of the group (1 min).

Rules

• Memories happen in slow motion.
• We wait our turn to put a memory away.
• Once the chest is closed, we use quiet voices.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: pass the chest around the circle at each child’s height instead of having them get up.
• Hearing loss: use photos or drawings of the year’s games.
• Autism: the child can put a drawing or a real object linked to their favorite game into the chest.

Learning goals

• Calm down with slow movement and breathing.
• Remember and share happy moments from the year.
• Wait for a turn and listen to classmates.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Large box: 1
• Soft music

Teacher tip

Plan your happy group memory ahead of time so it includes everyone. If you keep the box in the classroom, you can open it at the start of next year.

More activities like this

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